Nancy Rafal Honored

Nancy Rafal Honored

Nancy Rafal is one of the honorees at the 36th Anniversary Gala at Woodland Pattern.

Nancy was one of the honorees at the Woodland Pattern 36th Anniversary Annual Gala this year. Her award was an original beadwork "N" by Anne Kingsbury, long-time director of Woodland Pattern.

Nancy Rafal has been a Woodland Pattern supporter for over 20 years. She was an early participant in the Woodland Pattern Poetry Marathon driving from Door County and often she was one of the few members of the audience (except for staff) that stayed throughout the entire Marathon until the last poem was read. Now she offers rides to fellow poets in Bailey’s Harbor who want attend Woodland Pattern special events several times a year.

In 2003 Rafal was an active part of planning the Centennial Celebrations of Niedecker’s birth. In addition, she also made an anonymous contribution making it possible for Cid Corman and his wife Shizumi to travel from Japan and give a key presentation at the event in Milwaukee and a reading in Fort Atkinson. The celebration took place in Milwaukee and Fort Atkinson and was co-sponsored by Woodland Pattern, Milwaukee Public Library, and Fort Atkinson Library.

In addition to her support of Woodland Pattern, Rafal’s advocacy of poetry has encouraged other writers to come closer to realizing their potential both by creating venues for them and by drawing public attention to their work. She was instrumental part in establishing the Door County Poet Laureate position, officially sanctioned by the County Board in 2010. As a part of the leadership of both the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets (WFOP) and the Wisconsin Writers’ Association (WWA), she is a valuable source of literary information. She serves on the Board of Friends of Niedecker and is active in the annual Niedecker Poetry Festival, which occurs each October in Fort Atkinson.